Shloka 64
Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154
इत्येतद् वचन श्रुत्वा संनिवृत्तास्तु मानुषा: । अपश्यत् तं तदा सुप्तं द्रुतमागत्य जम्बुक:,गीधकी यह बात सुनकर वे सब मनुष्य घरकी ओर लौट पड़े। तब सियारने तुरंत आकर उस सोते हुए बालकको देखा
ity etad vacanaṃ śrutvā saṃnivṛttās tu mānuṣāḥ | apaśyat taṃ tadā suptaṃ drutam āgatya jambukaḥ ||
Mendengar kata-kata itu, orang ramai pun berhenti dan berpatah balik menuju rumah masing-masing. Lalu si serigala-jakal, Jambuka, segera datang ke situ dan melihat budak itu terbaring tidur.
जम्बुक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral contrast: when people withdraw after hearing counsel, an opportunistic figure (the jackal) approaches a vulnerable situation (a sleeping child). It prepares the listener to reflect on restraint versus predation, and on how dharma is tested when an easy advantage appears.
After a statement is heard, the people turn back home. Immediately afterward, Jambuka the jackal arrives and notices a boy asleep, indicating a shift from public action to a private moment where the jackal’s intentions and the ensuing ethical dilemma will unfold.